Data Management In association with Eircom

LOOK AFTER YOUR DATA

Andrew Fordham, Head of Business Marketing, Eircom

SMEs need to have an efficient Data Management Strategy, says Andrew Fordham

The huge volumes of data created on a weekly basis from emails and new documentation or automatic files created by installed software form the backbone of any organisation.

Small businesses often don't have the time or resources to manage this core asset as effectively as they should and often wait until they lose important data and experience a serious setback before they act. Other small businesses may wish to implement a CRM, remote working or data protection strategy but not know where to start.

INVEST TO PROTECT

As a starting point, there are two core areas on which small business should focus when reviewing the effectiveness of their data management practice. Firstly, it is important to understand the value provided by the business' current hardware and software applications. Secondly, assess the current method of data backup. "We are seeing a huge demand for data management and data protection tools. There are many reasons for this but one reason is the increased understanding of the serious damage to the business caused by data loss and system outage," explains Andrew Fordham, head of business marketing at eircom. "The message that is very slowly getting through to SMEs is that, although they are small, they still need to invest in order to protect."

BACK IT UP

THE AVAILABLE STATISTICS FOR OLD BACKUP SYSTEMS ARE SOBERING.

Manual tape backup systems have a high tendency for error. Failure rates with manual tape backup are as high as 50%. When companies start growing and the data mountain rises, business risk grows with it. About 50% of companies that lose their data in a disaster never open their doors again. Around 90% of them go out of business within two years.

BACK IT UP

The second area around data management is related to the area of data back up practice, a business with serious consequences when not implemented, particularly for companies on a growth path.

Most companies would claim they regularly backup their data but what many don't do is check that that the right data is sufficiently backed up, and, more importantly, retrievable in the event of a disaster. "If backing up vital data was as simple as a monthly phone call or a mouse click, or better still, happened automatically, companies would do it more often and more effectively. Not having a sufficient backup solution is really about time pressure and perceived workload," asserts Fordham.

ONLINE SOLUTION

To address this, eircom recommends that small companies, particularly those with server-based infrastructure, should seriously consider signing up to an online data backup solution. When it comes to simplicity, reliability, ease of retrieval, and little or no workload, there is no contest to backing up online. Eircom offers small companies a number of simple, cost-effective backup solutions from hosted e-mail to a suite of hosted online backup solutions for servers. It is also continuing to develop this product range such is their commitment to this core business activity. "We have heard clearly from our customers on the need to make simple solutions available to protect their business data at a minimal cost. Our suite of data protection products has evolved to meets those needs," says Fordham.